Versatile secure display system

ABSTRACT

The versatile secure system includes at least one wire detection element for detecting a separation of an object from a display system, at least a base, a sliding column, a head, a cover or a monitoring unit, the head receiving a detector and the object attached thereto. The column has two opposite ends, the base, the column and the head being distinct elements assembled together, the head receiving a detector including one detection sensor for detecting a separation of the object, the sensor being connectable by an electric cable to a wire monitoring electronic unit, the head being removably attached to a first end of the column, the base including a hole through which the second end of the column may be inserted and the column be slid and immobilized at the desired height by an immobilization element, the column being hollow for accommodating a spool and the electric cable.

The present invention relates to a versatile secure display systemprovided with a spool. It allows a secure display of objects toindividuals, in particular of commercial items to customers. It allowsthe object to be handled while making it possible to detect fiddling,theft attempt or even actual theft.

Systems for securely displaying objects to consumers and for allowingthem to be handled are known and widely used, in particular in stores.They are of various types and are generally adapted to specific needs.They generally require substantial, or even complex, operations fortheir installation, display modifications, etc.

Moreover, such systems must not be troublesome for the consumer thatwishes to reach the object and to handle it; they must neither triggeralarms when there is no theft or theft attempt.

It is therefore desirable to have an efficient system as for thesecurity, which is relatively simple to install and to configure orreconfigure, which is adaptable/versatile while being aestheticallyinteresting.

Therefore, the present invention proposes a secure display system thatis versatile in that it allows a stand-alone operation with a removablecontrol unit or in relation with an external security system.

Accordingly, the invention relates to a versatile secure display systemfor displaying an object, the object being intended to be attached tothe system and the system comprising at least one wire detection meansfor detecting a separation of the object from the display system.

According to the invention, the system comprises at least a base, asliding column and a head, wherein the base, the column, the head aredistinct elements that are assembled together, the head receiving adetector to which is attached the object, the detector comprising atleast one detection sensor for detecting a separation of the object fromthe detector, the detector and its sensor being intended to be connectedby an electric cable to a wire monitoring electronic unit, the headbeing removably attached to a first end of the column, the basecomprising a through-hole through which the second end of the column maybe inserted and the column be slid and immobilized at the desired heighton the base by an immobilization means, the column being an elongatedhollow tube integrating at least one electric cable storage means.

In various embodiments of the invention, the following means are used,which can be used either alone or in any technically possiblecombinations:

-   the base through-hole is substantially in central position,-   the base comprises a substantially circular peripheral edge,-   the base comprises a substantially polygonal, and preferably square    or rectangular, peripheral edge,-   the system further comprises an individual and stand-alone    monitoring electronic unit,-   the individual and stand-alone monitoring electronic unit is    integrated to the base,-   the individual and stand-alone monitoring electronic unit is an    element that is distinct from the base,-   the individual and stand-alone monitoring electronic unit is an    element comprising a through-hole whose shape is complementary to    that of the column and the immobilization means, the unit being slid    around the column in such a way to come and rest on the base, said    unit covering the base and the immobilization means, the base    further comprising a side cable pathway allowing the cable going    inside the column and going out through the second end of the column    to go up to the monitoring electronic unit, going through said base    through said side cable pathway,-   the individual and stand-alone monitoring electronic unit comprises,    on its lower face, a connector for the cable,-   the system further comprises an individual and stand-alone    monitoring electronic unit, said unit comprising a through-hole    whose shape is complementary to that of the column, the individual    and stand-alone monitoring electronic unit covering the base and the    immobilization means,-   the wire monitoring electronic unit further allows the detection of    a cable disconnection,-   the wire monitoring electronic unit further allows the detection of    a fiddling attempt,-   the electric cable is a spiral cable,-   the electric cable storage means is at least inside the hollow tube    of the column,-   the column further comprises a means for the return and storage of    the electric cable when the head is installed on the column end, and    the release of the cable according to the spacing of the column with    respect to the head when the latter is separated from the column,-   the means for the return and storage of the electric cable is    passive, the electric cable itself ensuring its return,-   the means for the return and storage of the electric cable is    active, the electric cable being returned back by said means,-   the active return and storage means is a spool,-   the column further comprises an electric cable spool for the return    and storage of the electrical cable when the head is installed on    the column end, and for the release of the cable according to the    spacing of the column with respect to the head when the latter is    separated from the column,-   the spool is active, the electric cable being returned back by the    spool,-   the cable comprises at least a spiral portion that can extend or    retract as a function of the traction exerted, and the column    comprises a means for the storage of said spiral portion, the return    and release of the cable being produced in particular by said spiral    portion of the cable,-   the electric cable is a cable with at least a spiral portion, and    the column further comprises a means for the return and storage of    the electric cable when the head is installed on the column end, and    for the release of the cable according to the spacing of the column    with respect to the head when the latter is separated from the    column,-   the head is formed of two parts, a lower part for the attachment to    the column and an upper part for the attachment to the object and    its detector, the two parts being swiveling relative to each other,-   the head comprises a swiveling ball joint,-   the lower part for attachment of the head to the column comprises an    attachment means that is complementary of the first end of the    column,-   the lower part for attachment of the head to the column is    introduced into the first end of the column and locked in position    by a rotation around an axis coaxial to the column,-   a fitting means for the head lower part is introduced into the first    end of the column and locked in position by rotation around an axis    coaxial to the column,-   the two parts of the head are rotationally swiveling relative to    each other around a single axis,-   the two parts of the head are rotationally swiveling relative to    each other around two axes,-   the two parts of the head are rotationally swiveling relative to    each other through a Cardan joint,-   the two parts of the head, once swiveled, are immobilized relative    to each other by at least one screw or one pin,-   the two parts of the head, which are swiveling relative to each    other, may be immobilized relative to each other at a determined    number of positions, the immobilization being obtained by matching    holes of the part for attachment to the column with holes of the    part for attachment to the object and introducing an stud into the    matched holes,-   the stud is a pin,-   the stud is a screw,-   the base comprises a peripheral crown delimiting the through-hole of    said base and comprises a ring extending heightwise, said ring    edging the through-hole of said base and allowing the column to be    immobilized at the desired height by the immobilization means acting    on said ring, said crown being intended to rest on a display    support,-   the immobilization means is a removable clamping or attaching    member,-   the immobilization means is a clamping collar acting as a stuffing    box relative to the ring that is divided into strips and allowing    said ring to be clamped on the column,-   the immobilization means is a locking screw,-   the immobilization means is a notched device, the column comprising    notches and the base at least one snug that locks at least one    notch,-   the immobilization means is reversible,-   the ring is extended upward, above the peripheral crown,-   the ring is extended downward, under the peripheral crown,-   the ring is extended upward and downward, on either side of the    peripheral crown,-   the base and the immobilization means are configured so that the    immobilization means is installed above the display support,-   the base and the immobilization means are configured so that the    immobilization means is installed under the display support,-   the column is circular in cross-section,-   the column is oval in cross-section,-   the column is square or rectangular in cross-section,-   the lower end of the column comprises a flange directed outward and    intended to prevent the passage of said lower end through the base    and/or the display support, the column having to be inserted through    the base and the display support by the underside,-   the upper end of the column comprises a flange directed outward and    intended to prevent the passage of said upper end through the base    and/or the display support, the column having to be inserted through    the base and the display support by the topside,-   the wire detection means comprises at least one detector with a    sensor and one wire link,-   the detector is a contact detector,-   the detector is a remote-detection detector,-   the detector is arranged in a recess of the upper part of the head.

The versatile secure display system that is proposed can thus operate ina stand-alone manner with its own individual and stand-alone monitoringelectronic unit or in relation with an external control unit to protectan object carried by the system.

The present invention will now be exemplified, without being limitedthereby, by the following description of embodiments and modes ofimplementation, in relation with:

FIG. 1 that is an exploded view of the system according to theinvention.

The system of the invention shown in FIG. 1 is intended to secure anobject 4, for example a mobile phone, the monitoring of which is ensuredby a wire monitoring electronic unit that may be a monitoring controlunit common to several systems of the invention (control unit notshown), or that may be an individual and stand-alone monitoringelectronic unit, for a single system of the invention and the objectthereof. A wire link is implemented, and it must therefore be possibleto install an electric cable (not shown), with preferably at least onespiral portion, in the system of the invention.

The object 4 is attached to a detector 13 that is in the form of a casecomprising a detection sensor 15, for example a switch, a control fingerof which protrudes out of the case to come into contact with the object4. When the object is separated from the detector, the state of thesensor changes due to the fact that the control finger is no longerpushed by the object. A wire link (not shown) is connected to thedetector 13 and allows the transmission of the state changes of thedetection sensor 15. It is to be understood that one or several sensors,passive or active, may be installed in the detector 13 as a function ofthe desired level of sophistication of the monitoring.

The system of the invention comprises essentially a base 1, a column 2and a head 3. The column 2 is a tube that is internally hollow for thepassage and/or the storage of an electric cable (not shown) of the wirelink, preferably a spiral cable that extends/retracts due to the turnsbeing moved apart/closer together when the cable is pulled or released,respectively. The base 1 comprises a substantially planar peripheralcrown 11 delimiting a central through-hole 8 of said base and a ring 10extending heightwise, said ring 10 edging the central through-hole 8 ofsaid base. The column 2, at its lower end, is slid into the ring 10 ofthe base and is attached/immobilized thereto by animmobilization/attachment means 20. The height of the column 2 withrespect to the base 1 may thus be adjusted. In this exemplaryembodiment, the ring 10 is substantially perpendicular to the crown 11so that the column extends substantially vertical when the base is puthorizontal. Still in this example, a cable pathway 9 is formed throughthe crown 11 of the base 1 so that the cable that has gone inside thecolumn 2 and through the central through-hole 8 of said base can goesout, in particular for the connection to an individual and stand-alonemonitoring electronic unit 6 that will be described hereinafter.

The base 1 may be put and attached on a display support, such as a tableor a shelf (not shown), common to several systems of the invention. Thedisplay support may be pierced or not with an orifice for each system ofthe invention, so as to allow the passage of the electric cable and,possibly, of the column, according to the possible height-adjustmentthat is desired for the column.

The base 1, in a first variant intended for the connection to a controlunit common to several systems of the invention, is covered with a cover5 or, in a second variant, the base is covered with the individual andstand-alone monitoring electronic unit 6.

The head 3 is attached to the upper part of the column 2 by a fittingmeans 14 that is extraction-locked by a rotation as shown by the curvedarrow. Such attachment of the head 3 to the column 2 is preferablymanually removable, in that a person wishing to replace the control unit6 or to exchange the latter with the cover 5 can separate the head fromthe column by rotating the head with respect to the column withoutneeding to use any tool. The electric cable being attached to thedetector 13 by means of a connector, it will have to be disconnected toallow the separation of the two elements and thus to clear the spacerequired for performing the operation. Such disconnection operation willgenerate an alarm, except the wire monitoring unit is inhibited, suchinhibition being controlled by a person authorized to inhibit themonitoring.

The head 3 is formed of two parts, a lower one and an upper one,articulated to each other to adjust the direction of the detector 13 andthe object 4 relative to the column. The head thus comprises a head basethat is the lower part of the head and a ball joint that is the upperpart of the head, such ball joint being able to be swiveled to differentpositions. The extraction-locked fitting means 14 form the bottom of thelower part of the head 3. The detector 13 is place in the upper part 12of the head 3, within an adapted housing. Preferably, once the correctdirection is obtained, the two parts of the head are immobilizedrelative to each other, by mechanical means, such as a pin or a screwfor example, as well as the detector 13 in the upper part 12 of the head3. Preferably, predefined directions are provided between the two partsof the head, for example two directions. For that purpose, screworifices are formed in the two parts of the head, such orifices beingable to match with each other in these predefined directions, the screwintroduced in the matching orifices then ensuring the immobilization ofthe two parts.

The object 4 is attached to the detector 13 by a mechanical means, suchas screw or glue, in particular a double-sided adhesive, for example.

In order to improve the aesthetic aspect of the system in case where anindividual and stand-alone monitoring electronic unit is not used, acover 5 is slid on the column and covers the base. The cover 5 comprisesan opening 16 for it to be slid along the column before the installationof the head 3 on the column 2. In this case, the end of the electriccable that is opposed to that of the head is connected to a wiremonitoring control unit arranged under the display support or fartheraway from the system.

In case where it is desired to make an individual and stand-alone securesystem, the cover (optional) is replaced by a stand-alone monitoringelectronic unit 6 that is slid on the column thanks to its opening 16and that covers the base. This stand-alone monitoring electronic unit 6comprises alarm generation means, in particular an audible alarm 17, forexample upon disconnection of the cable from said control unit or uponseparation of the object from the detector 13, or even upon a fiddlingof the cable. The cable is connected by the underside of the stand-alonemonitoring electronic unit 6 and it is thus not visible, said unitcovering the base. To go up to the unit 6, said cable goes through thecable pathway 9 formed through the crown 11 of the base 1. Suchstand-alone monitoring electronic unit 6 comprises its own power supply,using a cell or a battery.

Therefore, in the simplest version, the system comprises a base 1, acolumn 2, a head 3 and a cover 5. A detector may be supplied with thesystem in case where the user would not already have a detector adaptedto the head. Types of detectors adapted to certain groups of objects maybe made and supplied, for example detectors intended for cameras orvideo cameras screwing onto the camera or the video camera. The system,in a stand-alone version, may comprise a stand-alone monitoringelectronic unit 6 instead of the cover. The electric cable and thewinding/storage and unwinding means, whether they depend or not on thecapacity the cable would have to retract itself (spiral cable), whetherthey are thus passive or active, are supplied, integrated in the column.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the particularembodiments described above, but extends to all the variants andequivalents compliant with the spirit of the invention. Therefore, it iswell understood that the invention may be declined into many otherpossibilities without thereby departing from the scope of the inventiondefined by the description and the claims.

1. A versatile secure display system for displaying an object (4), theobject being intended to be attached to the system and the systemcomprising at least one wire detection means for detecting a separationof the object from the display system, characterized in that itcomprises at least a base (1), a sliding column (2) and a head (3),wherein the base, the column, the head are distinct elements that areassembled together, the head (3) receiving a detector (13) to which isattached the object (4), the detector comprising at least one detectionsensor (15) for detecting a separation of the object from the detector,the detector and its sensor being intended to be connected by anelectric cable to a wire monitoring electronic unit, the head beingremovably attached to a first end of the column, the base (1) comprisinga through-hole (8) through which the second end of the column (2) may beinserted and the column be slid and immobilized at the desired height onthe base by an immobilization means (20), the column (2) being anelongated hollow tube integrating at least one electric cable storagemeans.
 2. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that itfurther comprises an individual and stand-alone monitoring electronicunit (6).
 3. A system according to claim 2, characterized in that theindividual and stand-alone monitoring electronic unit (6) is an elementcomprising a through-hole (16) whose shape is complementary to that ofthe column and the immobilization means (20), the unit being slid aroundthe column (2) in such a way to come and rest on the base (1), said unitcovering the base (1) (10, 11) and the immobilization means (20), thebase further comprising a side cable pathway (9) allowing the cablegoing inside the column and going out through the second end of thecolumn to go up to the monitoring electronic unit, going through saidbase through said side cable pathway.
 4. A system according to claim 1,characterized in that it further comprises a base cover (5), said covercomprising a through-hole (16) whose shape is complementary to that ofthe column, the cover covering the base (1) (10, 11) and theimmobilization means (20).
 5. A system according to claim 1,characterized in that the electric cable is a cable with at least aspiral portion, and the column further comprises a means for the returnand storage of the electric cable when the head is installed on thecolumn end, and for the release of the cable according to the spacing ofthe column with respect to the head when the latter is separated fromthe column.
 6. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that thecolumn further comprises an electric cable spool for the return andstorage of the electrical cable when the head is installed on the columnend, and for the release of the cable according to the spacing of thecolumn with respect to the head when the latter is separated from thecolumn.
 7. A system according to claim 6, characterized in that theelectric cable is a spiral cable.
 8. A system according to claim 1,characterized in that the head is formed of two parts, a lower part forthe attachment to the column and an upper part (12) for the attachmentto the object and its detector, the two parts being swiveling relativeto each other, said head comprising a swiveling ball joint.
 9. A systemaccording to claim 8, characterized in that a fitting means (14) for thehead lower part is introduced into the first end of the column andlocked in position by rotation around an axis coaxial to the column. 10.A system according to claim 8, characterized in that the two parts ofthe head, which are swiveling relative to each other, may be immobilizedrelative to each other at a determined number of positions, theimmobilization being obtained by matching holes of the part forattachment to the column with holes of the part for attachment to theobject and introducing an stud into the matched holes.
 11. A systemaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the base comprises aperipheral crown (11) delimiting the through-hole (8) of said base andcomprising a ring (10) extending heightwise, said ring edging thethrough-hole of said base and allowing the column to be immobilized atthe desired height by the immobilization means (20) acting on said ring,said crown being intended to rest on a display support.
 12. A systemaccording to claim 11, characterized in that the base and theimmobilization means (20) are configured so that the immobilizationmeans (20) is installed above the display support.
 13. A systemaccording to claim 8, characterized in that the base and theimmobilization means (20) are configured so that the immobilizationmeans (20) is installed under the display support.
 14. A systemaccording to claim 11, characterized in that the immobilization means(20) is a clamping collar acting as a stuffing box relative to the ring(10) that is divided into strips and allowing said ring (10) to beclamped on the column.
 15. A system according to claim 1, characterizedin that the detector (13) is arranged in a recess of the upper part (12)of the head (3).
 16. A system according to claim 9, characterized inthat the two parts of the head, which are swiveling relative to eachother, may be immobilized relative to each other at a determined numberof positions, the immobilization being obtained by matching holes of thepart for attachment to the column with holes of the part for attachmentto the object and introducing an stud into the matched holes.